Carpet Cleaning 101: All You Have to Know

You think you have a beautiful looking carpet, but just wait till a disaster strikes. It could be in the form of a careless spill of a drink, or an accident with the pet, or perhaps when the kids get a little too wild in their games and enthusiastic about drawing with crayons … or other horrid things. Normally carpets can last for over a decade, but chances are you will be faced with a mess of a carpet in half that time.

– Vacuum cleaning – if you are not a fan of vacuum cleaning you better play ‘Queen – I want to break free’ several times for inspiration and get down to it. This is the that you have to use. Carpet cleaning ensures that most of the dust and dirt that inevitably ends up on your carpet does not accumulate to the point where it’s released in a dust storm when your children play and run in the area. Also consider eco friendly carpet cleaners too!!

Switch vacuuming pattern every time – this is a simple but very effective technique, which can assure that your vacuuming is most efficient. The trick is to vacuum clean both horizontally and vertically. This will pick up way more dust than you think, so definitely give it a try next time.

– Don’t forget areas in the corners and under furniture – cleaning the corners of the room can be tricky, so carefully pick an appropriate attachment that can help you with this task. You didn’t think that you would get away without vacuuming under the furniture, did you? Dust settles there as well, so every few months you have to play the role of a bodybuilder and lift the sofa and chairs to vacuum what is underneath.

– Replace vacuum bags – there is no point in waiting for the last possible moment to empty your vacuum bag. That is disaster waiting to happen. If you notice it is even two-thirds full, empty it.

– Test for colorfastness – before you learn more about the advanced carpet cleaning techniques and methods, you have to make sure your carpet can survive them. Literally. A lot of carpet cleaning products can prove dangerous, which is why testing for colorfastness before that is so important. It is like testing whether or not your carpet has an allergy to the ingredients that are in those bottles of commercial cleaners. Here is how you do that:

o Find an inconspicuous spot of your carpet. It could be in the corner, in the closet, or somewhere under the sofa.
o Wet a clean cloth with the cleaning solution you want to use and leave it on the carpet for an hour. Then blot the damp area with a clean cloth.
o See if the clean cloth has absorbed carpet dyes. If you notice this, then that means the cleaning product you want to use on your carpet is a bad choice. You may want to test for colorfastness another one that will not cause color bleeding, fading or any other damage.

– Steam clean every few months – as much as you try, the sad truth is that your carpet will require more than just regular vacuuming. Every few months you will have to resort to steam carpet cleaning. The way this method works is that the gear used injects solution into the carpet, which is pulled back after absorbing the spoils ingrained deep within the fibers. You have to be careful not to flood too much, as this will not only damage the carpet, but also the backing and underlayment.
– Dry carpet cleaning – this is an alternative to steam carpet cleaning. It relies on dry absorbent compound spread over the surface of the carpet, which is then thoroughly vacuumed. What you have to consider is that the machinery and chemicals used are typically more expensive.
– Hire carpet cleaners – if you feel like thorough carpet cleaning is way out of your league and that the machinery used is too sophisticated, you can always hire professional carpet cleaners. These guys will show you how the pros do it – they will bring their own gear and by using expert knowledge acquired over years of practice, they will transform your carpet from a mess back to perfect condition. All you will have to do is book their service, point them to the problem, be it stains or just regular sanitising that you require for your carpeting and, once they are done, just stand there and be amased at the result.

– Deal with stains – now, while carpet cleaners can certainly help you deal with stains, it is simply not feasible to call them for every little accident. Neither they, nor your budget are superheroes. For this reason, when it comes to cleaning stains from your carpet, you have to take matters into your own hands. Man up and face the problem yourself!

– Act quickly – if an accident of any kind occurs on your carpet, the first thing you have to do is … NO PANIC! Really, do not. You will have to keep your cool and act quickly. Remember that treating stains as soon as possible is the way to go – you don’t want to wait, as that can cause the stain to sink in and become permanent.

– Blot stains, don’t rub them – before you rush in with a sponge and soap to start rubbing the stain like there is no tomorrow, you should know that this will only make matters worse. The way to deal with stains is to blot them, not rub them, as the latter will only spread and ingrain them deeper into the fibers. Pick a green cleaning solution and a sponge, towel, or clean cloth and apply small pressure on the stain. This will soak it up and remove the problem for the most part. And yes, it is ok to feel proud after that.

These are all carpet cleaning hacks that can help maintain the carpeting of your floor clean and sanitised. Feel free to utilise them in your everyday cleaning routine and you will soon be able to reveal the true beauty of your carpets.

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The Green Living Guy, Seth Leitman is a green living expert, celebrity and Editor of the McGraw-Hill, TAB Green Guru Guides. Seth is also an Author, Radio Host, Reporter, Writer and a Environmental Consultant on green living. The Green Living Guy writes about green living, green lighting, the green guru guides and more. Seth's books range from:
# Build Your Own Electric Vehicle by Bob Brant and Seth Leitman (2nd and 3rd editions)
# Build Your Own Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle by Seth Leitman
# Build Your Own Electric Motorcycle by Carl Vogel
# Green Lighting by Seth Leitman, Brian Clark Howard and Bill Brinsky
# Solar Power For Your Home by David Findley
# Renewable Energies For Your Home by Russel Gehrke
# Do-it-Yourself Home Energy Audits by David Findley
# Build Your Own Small Wind Power System by Brian Clark Howard and Kevin Shea
# and more green living books to follow.

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The Green Living Guy, Seth Leitman is a green living expert, celebrity and Editor of the McGraw-Hill, TAB Green Guru Guides. Seth is also an Author, Radio Host, Reporter, Writer and a Environmental Consultant on green living. The Green Living Guy writes about green living, green lighting, the green guru guides and more. Seth's books range from:
# Build Your Own Electric Vehicle by Bob Brant and Seth Leitman (2nd and 3rd editions)
# Build Your Own Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle by Seth Leitman
# Build Your Own Electric Motorcycle by Carl Vogel
# Green Lighting by Seth Leitman, Brian Clark Howard and Bill Brinsky
# Solar Power For Your Home by David Findley
# Renewable Energies For Your Home by Russel Gehrke
# Do-it-Yourself Home Energy Audits by David Findley
# Build Your Own Small Wind Power System by Brian Clark Howard and Kevin Shea
# and more green living books to follow.